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Lecture No-16
Electro-Chemical Grinding
The commutator is an electrolytic spindle having carbon brushes and holds the
grinding wheel. It receives a negative charge from the DC power supply and the
workpiece is given a positive charge. In ECG process, the grinding wheel slightly
touches the workpiece. Electrolyte is supplied on-to the grinding wheel near the
workpiece such that the wheel carries it through the cutting process thereby
resulting in an electro-chemical action. A nozzle similar to the one which carries
coolant in a conventional grinding process is provided, which enables the flow of
the electrrolytic fluid to the worrk-tool contaact area. Thhe electrolytte along witth
wheel wo
orks simultan
neously in th
he process oof cutting. T
The electro-cchemical cells
thus form
med further oxidize
o the su
urface of thee workpiecee. The wheell carries awaay
the formeed oxides theereby exposing the fresh metal layerss beneath thee workpiecee.
In this prrocess of EC
CG, the majjor material removal acctivity takes place by thhe
electrolytic action (arround 90%). Rest of the metal removval takes plaace due to thhe
grinding action alon
ng with abrasives use d (embeddeed in the wheel). This
mechanical action contributes to
t around 110% due too abrasive aaction of thhe
conductin
ng grinding wheel. The pressure appplied on thhe grinding w
wheel is alsso
much lessser than the conventionaal grinding pprocess. Thuss the very baasic necessitty
nt wheel dreessings and truing as inn the case off conventionnal process is
of frequen
also elimiinated.
The schem
matic of the electrochem
mical grindingg process is shown in Fiig. 3.16.1
Process Characteristics
The life of grinding wheel in ECG process is very high as around 90% of the
metal is removed by electrolysis action and only 10% is due to the abrasive
action of the grinding wheel.
The ECG process is capable of producing very smooth and burr free edges
unlike those formed during the conventional grinding process (mechanical).
The heat produced in the ECG process is much less, leading to lesser distortion
of the workpiece.
The major material removal activity in ECG process occurs by the dissolving
action through the chemical process. There is very little tool and workpiece
contact and this is ideally suited for grinding of the following categories:
Fragile work-pieces which otherwise are very difficult to grind by the
conventional process
The parts that cannot withstand thermal damages and
The parts designed for stress and burr free applications.
Applications
The ECG process can be applied to the following common methods of grinding.